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  • Novel intermediates of acenaphthylene degradation by Rhizobium sp. strain CU-A1: evidence for naphthalene-1,8-dicarboxylic acid metabolism.

Novel intermediates of acenaphthylene degradation by Rhizobium sp. strain CU-A1: evidence for naphthalene-1,8-dicarboxylic acid metabolism.

Applied and environmental microbiology (2006-09-08)
Siriwat Poonthrigpun, Kobchai Pattaragulwanit, Sarunya Paengthai, Thanyanuch Kriangkripipat, Kanchana Juntongjin, Suthep Thaniyavarn, Amorn Petsom, Pairoh Pinphanichakarn
ABSTRACT

The acenaphthylene-degrading bacterium Rhizobium sp. strain CU-A1 was isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil in Thailand. This strain was able to degrade 600 mg/liter acenaphthylene completely within three days. To elucidate the pathway for degradation of acenaphthylene, strain CU-A1 was mutagenized by transposon Tn5 in order to obtain mutant strains deficient in acenaphthylene degradation. Metabolites produced from Tn5-induced mutant strains B1, B5, and A53 were purified by thin-layer chromatography and silica gel column chromatography and characterized by mass spectrometry. The results suggested that this strain cleaved the fused five-membered ring of acenaphthylene to form naphthalene-1,8-dicarboxylic acid via acenaphthenequinone. One carboxyl group of naphthalene-1,8-dicarboxylic acid was removed to form 1-naphthoic acid which was transformed into salicylic acid before metabolization to gentisic acid. This work is the first report of complete acenaphthylene degradation by a bacterial strain.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Supelco
Acenaphthylene, analytical standard
Sigma-Aldrich
Acenaphthylene, 99%
Sigma-Aldrich
Acenaphthylene, 75%